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Topic: "Mental Training"
My teacher often talks about our karate, as well
as other martial arts, as providing mental training
in addition to our physical training. I'm never sure
what this means. What does this refer to?
Dennis
Answer:
When you talk about mental training in the martial
arts, you are pointing to one of the main differences
in the way the Japanese view training as opposed to
those in the west. We all know, on some level, that
the mental side of any activity is important. Anyone
who follows basketball, tennis, golf or football can
remember a game when something happened and the whole
psychology of the game changed, and the outcome changed
with it. But, despite this recognition, sports training
in the west tends to focus on the physical -- power,
technique, speed, etc. It was only in the 1950's that
the concept of sports psychology even got started,
and today, while there is more written on this subject,
little actual mental training is incorporated into
practice. In short, in the west we are more externally
oriented.
This is very different in Japan (as well as some
parts of Asia) where the internal aspects of martial
arts always took precedence. It was always recognized
that on the battlefield, where a psychological whirlwind
of death and fear swirled around combatants, the quality
of discipline, physical commitment, spirit, mental
clarity and calm were as important, or more important,
than training, skill and technique. During times of
warfare young samurai were trained at birth to be
totally committed to action without thought of the
self or their own life. They lived a dedicated life
of absolute discipline, austere training, and unforgiving
practice mixed with psycho-religious practices (Mikkyo
and Zen Buddhism) to prepare and train the mind.
In the modern age, while the samurai are little more
than historical artifacts, and actual battlefield
weapon skills are little practiced, the spiritual
attributes of the samurai have been in part preserved,
embodied into new forms of martial arts dedicated
to the development of ethical values, discipline and
personal development. These new arts, under many names
-- some weapon based, others empty hand -- started
in the 1600s and continue today. The most famous are
the most modern -- kendo, judo, aikido and karatedo
(actually adopted from Okinawa but infused with traditional
values in Japan). An essential ingredient to each
of these "do" forms ("do" forms,
do meaning the way or path) was the concept of spiritual
forging -- that is, hard disciplined, repetitious
practice which both clarify and harden the mind as
well as the body while perfecting technique. In the
process the student was virtually transformed.
In the west, while this type of long term, hard practice
is rarely seen, some parts of this training continue.
Traditional martial arts schools continue to stress
many things, all of which force the student to make
difficult emotional decisions that build internal
discipline, and strengthen him or her mentally and
spiritually. One practice is etiquette, which forces
the self (and ego) to become subservient to the school
and training. There is also stress on developing the
"non-quitting spirit" -- doing that extra
push up, or extra exercise, or keeping your stance
when it is painful. In freefighting (if it is within
the art) students face their own natural fears and
trepidations and learn how to deal with situations
which are not comfortable, even threatening. Practice,
too, often contains basics and more basics -- endless
repetitions -- another method that forces the mind
to let go and the body to take over as technique is
internalized. And of course there is kata, which trains
the body in automatic sequences of movement and technique
and over time frees the mind of the body and movement,
allowing it to achieve a heightened state of awareness
and focus -- almost an impersonal observer sitting
above and outside the action looking back at it. And
the fact that many traditional martial arts schools
incorporate meditation (or Zen training) and other
spiritual practices into their curricula demonstrates
the continued importance of mental development to
martial arts practice.
When you compare hard martial arts training to western
concepts of sports training there are several immediate
observations. First, the western concept teaches technique
faster. Thus, students immediately surge ahead in
capability. But, increases in capability and technique
tend to level off with time and to achieve the highest
level of capability requires more than the physical.
Thus, while eastern methods may at first be slower,
over time they can provide that extra element of psychological
training to transcend the pure physical plain.
Then there is the personal level. Traditional martial
arts can also teach internal skills which provide
students with a better ability of face themselves
and the many problems and conflicts that life presents.
More Q&A:
Topic: "Deadliest
Art"
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